WarGames: WOPR

The Warriors might still hold the title for the longest wait for an official movie tie-in game, but WarGames's 29-year hiatus is still rather astonishing.

A rather quaint relic of IT issues past, the film starred a fresh-faced Matthew Broderick using a dial-up modem to hack into NORAD (the US aerospace defence command centre) and accidently bringing the world to the brink of nuclear destruction.

In the end ('80s movie SPOILER ALERT), he defeats the US Government's World War III sim computer WOPR (War Operation Plan Response) at a game of tic-tac-toe, but this belated licensed follow-up switches the action to a more contemporary game of match-three puzzling.

There's nothing spectacularly new here for seasoned Bejeweled players, but the OTT '80s plotline and retro visuals should keep you returning to its virtual battlefront.

Rather than playing the role of Broderick's whippersnapper hacker, you control the AI of supercomputer WOPR as it plays bout after bout of Global Thermonuclear War to fend off the teen's attacks.

Meanwhile, talking head cut-scenes - using shots from the film and its stars - recount the growing threat the virtual combat has in the real (well, movie) world.

The main mode is standard chaining affair, with a cruise missile twist. Linking together projectiles on the game grid fires them at your opponent, but you also need to ensure enemy missiles aren't launched your way by locking them into chains before a turn-based timer runs out.

Meanwhile, you can top up your energy by matching health icons or picking up dollars to pay for devastating power-ups, such as missile launches that fire everything on the game board at the enemy or tanks that decimate a full row.

These Tactics are added to your arsenal between battles from an upgrade menu, along with passive Mods that earn you extra cash, health, or bonus offensive powers.

End game

Providing you turn up the difficulty from the default Easy there's a fair amount of strategy puzzling to be had in WarGames, and the various tactics at your disposal add a Puzzle Quest edge to the match-three combat.

Repetition is the biggest issue. With only one other mode popping up from time to time (in which you need to clear enemy missiles before they drop to the bottom of the grid), most scraps feel near identical - especially when you hit on a winning strategy.

But played in short bursts WarGames: WOPR is still a nostalgic treat for '80s kids and puzzle fans alike.